System and Method for Real-Time Price Determination in Computerized Marketplace and E-Commerce Platforms

1. A system for data processing for transactions to obtain guided real-time values for the offer and sale of goods and services, the system comprising: at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs including instructions for: receiving from a user device, via a network, an identification of an item for sale and a minimum price for the item; responsive to the receiving, making the identification of the item and not the minimum price available for access by one or more buyer user devices; responsive to an indication of interest from one of the buyer user devices, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a first plurality of price ranges for selection, wherein a lowest value and a breadth of the first plurality of price ranges for selection are based on at least one random variable, whereby the value of the minimum price selected by the seller is not derivable from the price range values and the lowest value of the first set of price ranges; responsive to receipt of a selection of one of the first plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a second plurality of price ranges for selection, each of the second plurality of price ranges being within the selected one of the first plurality of price ranges; responsive to receipt of a selection of one of the second plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a third plurality of price ranges for selection, each of the third plurality of price ranges being within the selected one of the second plurality of price ranges; responsive to receipt of a selection of one of a final plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of a buyer user device a plurality of particular offer prices for selection, all within a selected range of the final plurality of price ranges; responsive to receipt of one of the plurality of particular offer prices that is higher than the minimum price: allocating a difference between the received selected offer price and the minimum price among seller, buyer and platform; and providing to the seller device an indication of the price to be received, and to the buyer device an indication of the price to be paid; wherein each of the pluralities of price ranges comprises at least three price ranges.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to receipt of an indication of interest from the buyer device, a lock out period is commenced, during which, responsive to receipt of an indication of interest from one or more further buyer devices, the further buyers are placed in a queue and assigned an order in the queue.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the user exceeding a time limit before selection of a price range, an interaction with the user is terminated, the time limit being dependent on a value of displayed price ranges.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the pluralities of price ranges is of fixed or variable breadth.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to selection of a price below the minimum price, the system is configured to determine whether one of the selected price ranges was adjacent a price range containing the minimum price, and, responsive to determining that one of the selected price ranges was adjacent a price range containing the minimum price, the buyer is presented an opportunity to update the price range selection.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein, the step of allocating a difference between the selected offer price and the minimum price among seller, buyer and platform comprises determining the difference between the selected offer price and the minimum price, comparing the determined difference to a threshold, and when the determined difference exceeds the threshold, allocating the difference between each of the buyer, seller and platform according to one or more of: (a) a fixed percentage component, or (b) a variable percentage component which varies according to the determined difference value; and when the determined difference does not exceed the threshold, allocating the difference between each of the buyer and seller only.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein on the condition that the final price selected is not greater than the minimum price, the processor executes instructions for displaying to the user a selectable option to return to the queue, whereby if the transaction is not concluded with a different buyer, the user is presented with further successive pluralities of price ranges for selection, followed by a plurality of further particular offer prices, and, responsive to receipt of one of the further plurality of particular prices that is higher than the minimum price, allocating a difference between the received selected further offer price and the minimum price among seller, buyer and platform; and providing to the seller device an indication of the price to be received, and to the buyer device an indication of the price to be paid.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein, the one or more programs include instructions for, responsive to allocation of a difference between the selected offer price and the minimum price, at least one of: (a) providing the seller an option to direct at least a portion of a difference between the minimum price and an amount to be paid to the seller, to a third party, and (b) providing the buyer an option to direct at least a portion of a difference between the selected offer price and a price to be paid by the buyer to a third party.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for: responsive to receipt of a selection of one of the third plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a fourth plurality of price ranges for selection, each of the fourth plurality of price ranges being within the selected one of the third plurality of price ranges; wherein each of the pluralities of price ranges comprises at least five price ranges; storing data indicative of each selected one of the price ranges and each selected one of the particular offer prices for a plurality of users and a plurality of products, the stored data providing for simplified analysis to determine consumer price sensitivity.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for: selecting from a set of fixed ranges the breadth of the price ranges of the first plurality of price ranges.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving in a computer processor an electronic identifier of an item for sale and a minimum price for the item from a user device, via a network interface of a computer network; responsive to the receiving step, making the identification of the item and not the minimum price accessible by one or more buyer user devices connected to the computer network; responsive to an electronic indication of interest from one of the buyer user devices received in the computer processor, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a first plurality of price ranges for selection, wherein a lowest value and a breadth of the first plurality of price ranges for selection are based on at least one random variable, whereby the value of the minimum price selected by the seller is not derivable from the price range values and the lowest value of the first set of price ranges; responsive to receipt of selection of a given one of said first plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a second plurality of price ranges for selection, each of the second plurality of price ranges being within the selected one of the first plurality of price ranges; responsive to receipt of a selection of one of the second plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a third plurality of price ranges for selection, each of the third plurality of price ranges being within the selected one of the second plurality of price ranges; responsive to receipt of selection of a given one of a final plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a plurality of particular offer prices for selection all within the selected one of the plurality of final price ranges; responsive to receipt of one of the plurality of particular offer prices that is higher than the minimum price: allocating a difference between the received selected offer price and the minimum price among seller, buyer and platform; and providing to the seller device via the network an indication of the price to be received, and to the buyer device an indication of the price to be paid.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, receiving in the computer processor an electronic indication of interest from the buyer device, and in response thereto, initiating a lock out period whereby, subsequent electronic indications of interest from one or more subsequent buyer devices cause said subsequent buyers to be placed in a queue and assigned an order in the queue.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein, responsive to the user exceeding a time limit before selection of a price range, an interaction with the user is terminated, the time limit being dependent on a value of displayed price ranges.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the pluralities of price ranges is of fixed or variable breadth.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein, responsive to selection of a price below the minimum price, determining whether one of the selected price ranges was adjacent a price range containing the minimum price, and, responsive to determining that one of the selected price ranges was adjacent a price range containing the minimum price, presenting the buyer an opportunity to update the price range selection.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein, the step of allocating a difference between the selected price and the minimum price among seller, buyer, and platform: determining the difference between the selected offer price and the minimum price, comparing the determined difference to a threshold, and wherein when the determined difference exceeds the threshold, allocating the difference between each of the buyer, seller and platform according to one or more of: (a) a fixed percentage component, and/or (b) a variable percentage component which varies according to the determined difference value; and wherein when the determined difference does not exceed the threshold, allocating the determined difference between each of the buyer and seller only.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein on the condition that the final price selected is not greater than the minimum price, the processor executes instructions for displaying to the user a selectable option to return to the queue, whereby if the transaction is not concluded with a different buyer, the user is presented with further successive pluralities of price ranges for selection, followed by a plurality of further particular offer prices, and, responsive to receipt of one of the plurality of further plurality of particular prices that is higher than the minimum price, allocating a difference between the received selected further offer price and the minimum price among seller, buyer and platform; and providing to the seller device an indication of the price to be received, and to the buyer device an indication of the price to be paid.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises, responsive to allocation of a difference between the selected offer price and the minimum price, at least one of: (a) providing the seller an option to direct at least a portion of a difference between the minimum price and an amount to be paid to the seller to a third party and (b) providing the buyer an option to direct at least a portion of a difference between the selected offer price and a price to be paid by the buyer to a third party.

19. A non-transient computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to: responsive to receipt of an electronic identifier of an item for sale and a minimum price for the item from a user device, via a network interface, make the identification of the item accessible by one or more buyer user devices, and make inaccessible the minimum price by one or more buyer user devices connected to the computer network; generate a first plurality of price ranges associated with the item for sale for presentation and selection on an interface of the buyer user device, responsive to receipt of an electronic indication of interest from one of the buyer user devices, wherein a lowest value and a breadth of the first plurality of price ranges for selection are based on at least one random variable, whereby the value of the minimum price selected by the seller is not derivable from the price range values and the lowest value of the first set of price ranges; generate, in response to receipt of selection of a given one of said first plurality of price ranges, a second plurality of price ranges for selection, wherein each of the generated second plurality of price ranges is within the selected one of the first plurality of price ranges, and wherein said second plurality of price ranges are presented for selection on an interface of the buyer user device; responsive to receipt of a selection of one of the second plurality of price ranges, presenting on an interface of the buyer user device a third plurality of price ranges for selection, each of the third plurality of price ranges being within the selected one of the second plurality of price ranges; generate a plurality of individual offer prices within a final selected price range for presentation and selection on an interface of the buyer user device, responsive to receipt of selection of a given one of said final plurality of price ranges; responsive to receipt of one of the plurality of individual offer prices that is higher than the minimum price: allocate a difference between the received selected offer price and the minimum price among seller, buyer and platform; and provide to the seller device via the network an indication of the price to be received, and to the buyer device an indication of the price to be paid.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to receive an electronic indication of interest from the buyer device, and in response thereto, initiate a lock out period whereby, subsequent electronic indications of interest from one or more subsequent buyer devices cause said subsequent buyers to be placed in a queue and assigned an order in the queue.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein, responsive to the user exceeding a time limit before selection of a price range, an interaction with the user is terminated, the time limit being dependent on a value of displayed price ranges.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein, responsive to selection of a price below the minimum, determining whether one of the selected price ranges was adjacent a price range containing the minimum price, and, responsive to determining that one of the selected price ranges was adjacent a price range containing the minimum price, presenting the buyer an opportunity to update the price range selection.